US20190059317A1 - Disposable cat litter box - Google Patents
Disposable cat litter box Download PDFInfo
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- US20190059317A1 US20190059317A1 US16/109,116 US201816109116A US2019059317A1 US 20190059317 A1 US20190059317 A1 US 20190059317A1 US 201816109116 A US201816109116 A US 201816109116A US 2019059317 A1 US2019059317 A1 US 2019059317A1
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- Prior art keywords
- cat litter
- box
- side walls
- cat
- litter box
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
- A01K1/01—Removal of dung or urine, e.g. from stables
- A01K1/0107—Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets
- A01K1/0125—Foldable or collapsible litter boxes
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to cat litter boxes and, more particularly, to a disposable cat litter box with a corrugated cardboard construction.
- Cat litter was developed for the purpose of allowing humans to share a living space with their cat.
- the invention of cat litter created a cohabitated space for humans and cats but also created two significant challenges most cat owners experience: finding ways to eliminate odor from the litter box, and managing the waste created by cats.
- Regular replenishment of fresh litter is required for hygiene purposes, and cat owners must properly dispose of soiled litter. Both activities are time consuming and unfavorable experiences for most cat owners.
- Typical cat litter available in today's retail establishments are heavy, awkward to handle and inconvenient for transporting home.
- a disposable cat litter box is designed to be folded into a compact form for storage and/or shipment to a customer.
- the cat litter box is prepacked with a predetermined amount of cat litter.
- the box is unfolded by the customer for use. When it is time to replace the cat litter box, it is refolded back into a compact form for disposal.
- the cat litter box comprises a box and a cat litter tray.
- the box includes a bottom and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom to form a litter compartment.
- the cat litter tray is shaped to conform to the interior space of the litter compartment and includes an outer periphery that is sealed to the inner surfaces of the side walls.
- Extension panels hingedly connect to respective side walls and are configured to move between a folded position in which the litter compartment is enclosed by the extension panels and an unfolded position in which the extension panels extend upward from the side walls to form an extended litter compartment.
- An opening or cut-out in one of the extension panels provides means for ingress into and egress out of the assembled cat litter box by a cat.
- the box may include a lid to protect the box during storage and shipment.
- the box is manufactured from single wall “B flute” material.
- the interior and exterior surfaces of the box are protected from cat urine and moisture damage by applying a water-resistant coating that is not easily penetrated by water, i.e. water repellant, or is impervious to water, i.e. water-proof.
- a heat-activated adhesive coating is applied over the water-resistant coating on the interior of the side walls for adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of the box.
- the cat litter tray and box are then placed on a mold while heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the outer surfaces of the box. The pressure ensures that good contact is made between the cat litter tray and the side walls of the box while heat is simultaneously transferred through the box material to activate the adhesive.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded configuration with the lid in place.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded configuration with the lid removed.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed on the bottom and the extension panels partially unfolded.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed on the bottom and the contents removed.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cat litter box fully assembled for use with the extension panels unfolded and locked.
- FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which a box for use in the cat litter box is constructed.
- FIG. 7 is a partial section view illustrating an exemplary method for adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of a box used in to make the cat litter box.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mold used in the manufacture of the cat litter box.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cat litter box being placed on the mold.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a method adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of the cat litter box by simultaneous application of heat and pressure to the exterior of the box.
- a disposable cat litter box according to one embodiment is shown and indicated generally by the numeral 10 .
- the main components of the cat litter box 10 comprise a box 12 , a lid 40 for the box 12 , and a cat litter tray 50 disposed inside the box 12 .
- the cat litter box 10 is designed to be folded into a compact form for storage and shipment to a customer and unfolded by the customer for use. When it is time to replace the cat litter box 10 , the cat litter box 10 can be folded back into a compact form for disposal.
- the lid 40 protects the box 12 during storage and shipment.
- the box 12 is generally rectangular in form and preferably constructed of cardboard, though other materials could be used in some embodiments.
- the box 12 comprises a bottom indicated generally by the numeral 16 , side walls indicated generally by the numeral 14 , and extension panels indicated generally by the numeral 24 .
- the bottom 14 is formed by four bottom panels indicated individually by the reference numerals 14 A- 14 D as seen in FIG. 6 .
- An adhesive 20 is applied to a portion of bottom panels 14 B and 14 D that overlap with bottom panels 14 A and 14 C respectively when the box 12 is assembled.
- the side walls 16 indicated individually by reference numerals 16 A- 16 D, join respective bottom panels 14 A- 14 D along horizontal fold lines 18 .
- the side walls 16 A- 16 D also join along corner fold lines 17 .
- Side wall 16 D includes a tab 22 that overlaps with and attaches to side wall 16 A when the box 12 is assembled to join side walls 16 A and 16 D at the corner of the box 12 .
- the bottom 14 and sidewalls 16 together define a litter compartment 36 inside the box 12 when the box 12 is assembled.
- Extension panels 24 indicated individually by reference numerals 24 A- 24 D, join respective side walls 16 A- 16 D along horizontal fold lines 26 .
- Extension panels 24 A- 24 D join along corner fold lines 27 .
- Extension panel 24 D includes a tab 34 that overlaps with and attaches to extension panel 24 A when the box 12 is assembled to join extension panels 24 A and 24 D at the corner of the box 12 .
- the extension panels 24 are moveable between a folded position as shown in FIG.
- Extension panels 24 A and 24 C include diagonal fold lines 28 that enable the extension panels 24 A and 24 C to fold inwardly while joined at the corners with extension panels 24 B and 24 D.
- Extension panel 24 B includes a perforated cut-out 30 that when removed provides an opening for a cat to enter into and exit from the litter compartment 36 when the cut-out is removed by the user.
- the lid 40 of the cat litter box 10 is also rectangular in form and conforms to the shape of the box 12 .
- the lid 40 includes a top 42 and side walls 44 that extend down from the top 42 .
- the top 40 and side walls 44 are sized to fit over the side walls 16 of the box 12 when the extension panels 24 are in the folded position as shown in FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates the lid 40 fitted over the box 12 .
- the cat litter tray 50 is disposed inside the litter compartment 36 defined by the bottom 14 and side walls 16 of the box 12 .
- the cat litter tray 50 is made of a polymer and molded to conform in size and shape to the interior of the litter compartment 36 .
- the cat litter tray 50 comprises a tray 52 having flanges 58 that extend from the outer periphery of the tray 52 .
- the tray 52 include a bottom 54 and curved side walls 54 to hold cat litter.
- Flanges 56 extend from the outer periphery of the tray 52 for securing the cat litter tray 50 inside the litter compartment 36 and providing protection from cat urine to the portion of the side walls 24 immediately above top of the tray 52 .
- the flanges 56 extend upwardly from the outer periphery of the tray portion 52 .
- the flanges 56 lie flat against the inner surfaces of the side walls 24 of the box 12 and are sealed to the side walls 24 by an adhesive as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 can be sealed to the inner surfaces of the side walls 24 by a double-sided adhesive tape, or by an adhesive coating applied to the inner surfaces of the side walls 24 .
- the reinforcing strips 60 provide structural support for and protect the top edges of the extension panels 24 A and 24 C when the cat litter box 10 is assembled for use. Similar protective strips (not shown) could also be applied to the top edges of the side walls 24 B and 24 D for protection of the top edges.
- the reinforcing strips 60 in one embodiment comprise extruded polymer strips with an inverted u-shaped cross section configured to slide onto the top edges of the extension panels 24 .
- the box 12 and lid 40 are manufactured from single wall “B flute” material.
- the height of the extension panels 24 helps keep the litter contained within the litter compartment during use.
- An entrance opening into the cat litter box 10 for the cat measures, in one embodiment 11′′ W ⁇ 51 ⁇ 2′′H so that a cat can easily enter into and exit from the litter compartment when the cat litter box 10 is in use.
- the lid 40 can be placed on the bottom 14 of the box 12 during use as shown in FIG. 5 , or alternatively be placed over the extension panels 24 to cover the extended litter compartment during use.
- the interior surfaces of the box 12 can be protected from cat urine and moisture damage by applying a water-resistant coating, durable water-resistant coating. In some embodiments, the interior and exterior surfaces of the lid 40 are also be protected in a similar manner.
- the interior coating provides a moisture barrier that protects the interior of the box 12 from cat urine.
- An exterior coating can also be applied to the outer surfaces of the box 12 if desired to protect the box 12 from moisture damage during home delivery.
- the box 12 measures 19′′ L ⁇ 143 ⁇ 8′′ W ⁇ 3′′H (disassembled) and 19′′ L ⁇ 14′′ W ⁇ 101 ⁇ 4′′ H (assembled).
- FIGS. 8-10 illustrate an exemplary method of manufacturing the cat litter box 10 .
- the box 12 is assembled from the blank shown in FIG. 6 after a water-resistant coating is applied interior and exterior surfaces of the box 12 .
- a second coating of a heat-activated adhesive is applied over the water-resistant coating to the inner surfaces of the side walls 24 where the side walls 24 are contacted by the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 .
- the cat litter tray 50 and box 12 are then placed on a mold while heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the outer surfaces of the box 12 . The pressure ensures that good contact is made between the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 and the side walls 24 of the cat litter box 10 while heat is simultaneously transferred through the box material to activate the adhesive.
- FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary mold 100 used in the manufacture of the cat litter box 10 .
- the mold 100 comprises a base 102 and a curved frame 104 that conforms to the interior shape of the cat litter tray 50 .
- the frame 104 includes curved portions 104 A configured to contact the inner surfaces of the side walls 54 of the cat litter tray 50 and flat, outwardly facing surfaces 104 B configured to contact the interior side of the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 .
- a raised surface 106 extends upward from the center of the base 102 to contact the inner surface of the bottom 52 of the cat litter tray 50 .
- the raised surface 106 comprises a cork material.
- the mold 100 is mounted on a carrousel 110 that rotates 90%.
- the carrousel 110 includes two handles 112 for rotating the carrousel 110 as hereinafter described.
- the carrousel 110 in turn is mounted on a shuttle 120 that moves forward and backward into and out of a heating machine 130 , shown schematically in FIG. 10 .
- the cat litter tray 50 is placed in an inverted position on the mold 110 and the box 12 is pressed down over the cat litter tray 50 as shown in FIG. 9 .
- the carrousel 110 is pushed forward into the heating machine 130 .
- the heating machine 130 comprises a pressure plate 132 that presses down in the bottom 14 of the box 12 to ensure that the cat litter tray 50 and box 12 are properly positioned on the mold 100 .
- Heating bars 134 then move inwardly to simultaneously contact two opposing side walls 24 of the box 12 .
- the heating bars 134 apply pressure in the range of about 80 to 125 lbs/int.
- the applied pressure ensures that good contact is made between the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 and the side walls 24 of the cat litter box 10 , while heat in the range of about 100 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit is simultaneously applied to the outer surface of the box 12 .
- the heat transferred through the box material activates the adhesive coating on the side walls 24 to adhere the flanges 56 of the cat litter tray 50 to the side walls 24 .
- the amount of the applied pressure and heat will vary depending on the characteristics of the box material and the type of the adhesive coating. The pressure and heat are applied until the adhesive coating is activated, which can occur in under 10 seconds depending on the materials.
- the carrousel 110 is retracted from the heating machine 130 , rotated 90%, and then pushed back into the heating machine 130 to adhere the cat litter tray 50 to the remaining two side walls 24 as described above.
- the cat litter box 10 pre-packaged with cat litter 70 is purchased by or shipped to a user in a folded configuration as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the reinforcing strips 60 strips along with a bag of cat litter 70 are enclosed inside the box 12 .
- the cat litter 70 comprises a silica gel bead that varies in size from about 3 mm to about 8 mm in diameter.
- the cat litter 70 is packaged inside a sealed bag with an easy to open tear strip for the customer's use. The sealed bag keeps any moisture from coming in contact with the cat litter 70 prior to its use as a litter.
- the customer removes the lid 40 from the folded box 12 , folds the extension panels 24 upward and outward to the unfolded position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , and places the reinforcing strips 60 provided on the top edges of the side panels 24 A and 24 C to lock the cat litter box 10 into the final operational position as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the perforated cut-out 30 can either be removed and discarded or folded down inside the cat litter box 10 to provide an opening for the cat to enter into and exit from the cat litter box 10 .
- the lid 40 may be stored by placing it under the cat litter box 10 as shown, or may be placed on top for use as a cover.
- the cat litter box 10 is ready to be properly disposed of.
- the reinforcing strips 60 are removed and placed inside the cat litter tray 50 or otherwise disposed of.
- the litter box is the folded back into the original folded position and the lid 40 is placed back on the top of the cat litter box 10 as shown in FIG. 1 for disposal.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/549,039 titled DISPOSABLE CORRUGATED LITTER BOX WITH POLYMER LINER & SILICA GEL CAT LITTER filed Aug. 23, 2017, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
- The present invention relates generally to cat litter boxes and, more particularly, to a disposable cat litter box with a corrugated cardboard construction.
- Cat litter was developed for the purpose of allowing humans to share a living space with their cat. The invention of cat litter created a cohabitated space for humans and cats but also created two significant challenges most cat owners experience: finding ways to eliminate odor from the litter box, and managing the waste created by cats. Regular replenishment of fresh litter is required for hygiene purposes, and cat owners must properly dispose of soiled litter. Both activities are time consuming and unfavorable experiences for most cat owners. Typical cat litter available in today's retail establishments are heavy, awkward to handle and inconvenient for transporting home.
- A disposable cat litter box is designed to be folded into a compact form for storage and/or shipment to a customer. The cat litter box is prepacked with a predetermined amount of cat litter. The box is unfolded by the customer for use. When it is time to replace the cat litter box, it is refolded back into a compact form for disposal.
- The cat litter box comprises a box and a cat litter tray. The box includes a bottom and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom to form a litter compartment. The cat litter tray is shaped to conform to the interior space of the litter compartment and includes an outer periphery that is sealed to the inner surfaces of the side walls. Extension panels hingedly connect to respective side walls and are configured to move between a folded position in which the litter compartment is enclosed by the extension panels and an unfolded position in which the extension panels extend upward from the side walls to form an extended litter compartment. An opening or cut-out in one of the extension panels provides means for ingress into and egress out of the assembled cat litter box by a cat. In some embodiments, the box may include a lid to protect the box during storage and shipment.
- In one exemplary embodiment, the box is manufactured from single wall “B flute” material. The interior and exterior surfaces of the box are protected from cat urine and moisture damage by applying a water-resistant coating that is not easily penetrated by water, i.e. water repellant, or is impervious to water, i.e. water-proof. A heat-activated adhesive coating is applied over the water-resistant coating on the interior of the side walls for adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of the box. The cat litter tray and box are then placed on a mold while heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the outer surfaces of the box. The pressure ensures that good contact is made between the cat litter tray and the side walls of the box while heat is simultaneously transferred through the box material to activate the adhesive.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded configuration with the lid in place. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cat litter box in a folded configuration with the lid removed. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed on the bottom and the extension panels partially unfolded. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cat litter box with the lid placed on the bottom and the contents removed. -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cat litter box fully assembled for use with the extension panels unfolded and locked. -
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which a box for use in the cat litter box is constructed. -
FIG. 7 is a partial section view illustrating an exemplary method for adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of a box used in to make the cat litter box. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mold used in the manufacture of the cat litter box. -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cat litter box being placed on the mold. -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a method adhering the cat litter tray to the interior of the cat litter box by simultaneous application of heat and pressure to the exterior of the box. - Referring now to the
FIGS. 1-5 , a disposable cat litter box according to one embodiment is shown and indicated generally by thenumeral 10. The main components of thecat litter box 10 comprise abox 12, alid 40 for thebox 12, and acat litter tray 50 disposed inside thebox 12. Thecat litter box 10 is designed to be folded into a compact form for storage and shipment to a customer and unfolded by the customer for use. When it is time to replace thecat litter box 10, thecat litter box 10 can be folded back into a compact form for disposal. Thelid 40 protects thebox 12 during storage and shipment. - In one embodiment, the
box 12 is generally rectangular in form and preferably constructed of cardboard, though other materials could be used in some embodiments. Thebox 12 comprises a bottom indicated generally by thenumeral 16, side walls indicated generally by thenumeral 14, and extension panels indicated generally by thenumeral 24. Thebottom 14 is formed by four bottom panels indicated individually by thereference numerals 14A-14D as seen inFIG. 6 . Anadhesive 20 is applied to a portion of bottom panels 14B and 14D that overlap withbottom panels 14A and 14C respectively when thebox 12 is assembled. Theside walls 16, indicated individually by reference numerals 16A-16D, joinrespective bottom panels 14A-14D alonghorizontal fold lines 18. The side walls 16A-16D also join alongcorner fold lines 17. Side wall 16D includes a tab 22 that overlaps with and attaches to side wall 16A when thebox 12 is assembled to join side walls 16A and 16D at the corner of thebox 12. Thebottom 14 andsidewalls 16 together define alitter compartment 36 inside thebox 12 when thebox 12 is assembled.Extension panels 24, indicated individually byreference numerals 24A-24D, join respective side walls 16A-16D alonghorizontal fold lines 26.Extension panels 24A-24D join alongcorner fold lines 27. Extension panel 24D includes atab 34 that overlaps with and attaches toextension panel 24A when thebox 12 is assembled to joinextension panels 24A and 24D at the corner of thebox 12. Theextension panels 24 are moveable between a folded position as shown inFIG. 2 and an unfolded position as shown inFIG. 5 .Extension panels 24A and 24C includediagonal fold lines 28 that enable theextension panels 24A and 24C to fold inwardly while joined at the corners with extension panels 24B and 24D. Extension panel 24B includes a perforated cut-out 30 that when removed provides an opening for a cat to enter into and exit from thelitter compartment 36 when the cut-out is removed by the user. - The
lid 40 of thecat litter box 10 is also rectangular in form and conforms to the shape of thebox 12. Thelid 40 includes atop 42 andside walls 44 that extend down from thetop 42. The top 40 andside walls 44 are sized to fit over theside walls 16 of thebox 12 when theextension panels 24 are in the folded position as shown inFIG. 2 .FIG. 1 illustrates thelid 40 fitted over thebox 12. - The
cat litter tray 50 is disposed inside thelitter compartment 36 defined by thebottom 14 andside walls 16 of thebox 12. In one embodiment, thecat litter tray 50 is made of a polymer and molded to conform in size and shape to the interior of thelitter compartment 36. Thecat litter tray 50 comprises atray 52 havingflanges 58 that extend from the outer periphery of thetray 52. Thetray 52 include abottom 54 andcurved side walls 54 to hold cat litter.Flanges 56 extend from the outer periphery of thetray 52 for securing thecat litter tray 50 inside thelitter compartment 36 and providing protection from cat urine to the portion of theside walls 24 immediately above top of thetray 52. When thecat litter tray 50 is disposed in thelitter compartment 36, theflanges 56 extend upwardly from the outer periphery of thetray portion 52. Theflanges 56 lie flat against the inner surfaces of theside walls 24 of thebox 12 and are sealed to theside walls 24 by an adhesive as shown inFIG. 7 . For example, theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50 can be sealed to the inner surfaces of theside walls 24 by a double-sided adhesive tape, or by an adhesive coating applied to the inner surfaces of theside walls 24. - The reinforcing strips 60 provide structural support for and protect the top edges of the
extension panels 24A and 24C when thecat litter box 10 is assembled for use. Similar protective strips (not shown) could also be applied to the top edges of the side walls 24B and 24D for protection of the top edges. The reinforcing strips 60 in one embodiment comprise extruded polymer strips with an inverted u-shaped cross section configured to slide onto the top edges of theextension panels 24. - In one embodiment, the
box 12 andlid 40 are manufactured from single wall “B flute” material. The height of theextension panels 24 helps keep the litter contained within the litter compartment during use. An entrance opening into thecat litter box 10 for the cat measures, in one embodiment 11″ W×5½″H so that a cat can easily enter into and exit from the litter compartment when thecat litter box 10 is in use. Thelid 40 can be placed on the bottom 14 of thebox 12 during use as shown inFIG. 5 , or alternatively be placed over theextension panels 24 to cover the extended litter compartment during use. - The interior surfaces of the
box 12 can be protected from cat urine and moisture damage by applying a water-resistant coating, durable water-resistant coating. In some embodiments, the interior and exterior surfaces of thelid 40 are also be protected in a similar manner. The interior coating provides a moisture barrier that protects the interior of thebox 12 from cat urine. An exterior coating can also be applied to the outer surfaces of thebox 12 if desired to protect thebox 12 from moisture damage during home delivery. In one embodiment, thebox 12 measures 19″ L×14⅜″ W×3″H (disassembled) and 19″ L×14″ W×10¼″ H (assembled). -
FIGS. 8-10 illustrate an exemplary method of manufacturing thecat litter box 10. Generally, thebox 12 is assembled from the blank shown inFIG. 6 after a water-resistant coating is applied interior and exterior surfaces of thebox 12. A second coating of a heat-activated adhesive is applied over the water-resistant coating to the inner surfaces of theside walls 24 where theside walls 24 are contacted by theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50. Thecat litter tray 50 andbox 12 are then placed on a mold while heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the outer surfaces of thebox 12. The pressure ensures that good contact is made between theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50 and theside walls 24 of thecat litter box 10 while heat is simultaneously transferred through the box material to activate the adhesive. -
FIG. 8 illustrates anexemplary mold 100 used in the manufacture of thecat litter box 10. Themold 100 comprises abase 102 and acurved frame 104 that conforms to the interior shape of thecat litter tray 50. Theframe 104 includes curved portions 104A configured to contact the inner surfaces of theside walls 54 of thecat litter tray 50 and flat, outwardly facingsurfaces 104B configured to contact the interior side of theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50. A raisedsurface 106 extends upward from the center of the base 102 to contact the inner surface of the bottom 52 of thecat litter tray 50. In one embodiment, the raisedsurface 106 comprises a cork material. - The
mold 100 is mounted on acarrousel 110 that rotates 90%. Thecarrousel 110 includes twohandles 112 for rotating thecarrousel 110 as hereinafter described. Thecarrousel 110 in turn is mounted on ashuttle 120 that moves forward and backward into and out of aheating machine 130, shown schematically inFIG. 10 . - During manufacture, the
cat litter tray 50 is placed in an inverted position on themold 110 and thebox 12 is pressed down over thecat litter tray 50 as shown inFIG. 9 . After thecat litter tray 50 andbox 12 are placed on themold 100, thecarrousel 110 is pushed forward into theheating machine 130. Theheating machine 130 comprises apressure plate 132 that presses down in the bottom 14 of thebox 12 to ensure that thecat litter tray 50 andbox 12 are properly positioned on themold 100. Heating bars 134 then move inwardly to simultaneously contact two opposingside walls 24 of thebox 12. The heating bars 134 apply pressure in the range of about 80 to 125 lbs/int. The applied pressure ensures that good contact is made between theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50 and theside walls 24 of thecat litter box 10, while heat in the range of about 100 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit is simultaneously applied to the outer surface of thebox 12. The heat transferred through the box material activates the adhesive coating on theside walls 24 to adhere theflanges 56 of thecat litter tray 50 to theside walls 24. The amount of the applied pressure and heat will vary depending on the characteristics of the box material and the type of the adhesive coating. The pressure and heat are applied until the adhesive coating is activated, which can occur in under 10 seconds depending on the materials. After thecat litter tray 50 is adhered to the first two sides of thecat litter box 10, thecarrousel 110 is retracted from theheating machine 130, rotated 90%, and then pushed back into theheating machine 130 to adhere thecat litter tray 50 to the remaining twoside walls 24 as described above. - In use, the
cat litter box 10 pre-packaged withcat litter 70 is purchased by or shipped to a user in a folded configuration as shown inFIG. 1 . The reinforcing strips 60 strips along with a bag ofcat litter 70 are enclosed inside thebox 12. In one embodiment, thecat litter 70 comprises a silica gel bead that varies in size from about 3 mm to about 8 mm in diameter. Thecat litter 70 is packaged inside a sealed bag with an easy to open tear strip for the customer's use. The sealed bag keeps any moisture from coming in contact with thecat litter 70 prior to its use as a litter. - To put the
cat litter box 10 into use, the customer removes thelid 40 from the foldedbox 12, folds theextension panels 24 upward and outward to the unfolded position as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , and places the reinforcingstrips 60 provided on the top edges of theside panels 24A and 24C to lock thecat litter box 10 into the final operational position as shown inFIG. 5 . The perforated cut-out 30 can either be removed and discarded or folded down inside thecat litter box 10 to provide an opening for the cat to enter into and exit from thecat litter box 10. Thelid 40 may be stored by placing it under thecat litter box 10 as shown, or may be placed on top for use as a cover. - After approximately 30 days of use, the
cat litter box 10 is ready to be properly disposed of. The reinforcing strips 60 are removed and placed inside thecat litter tray 50 or otherwise disposed of. The litter box is the folded back into the original folded position and thelid 40 is placed back on the top of thecat litter box 10 as shown inFIG. 1 for disposal.
Claims (8)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US16/109,116 US10893655B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2018-08-22 | Disposable cat litter box |
US16/576,654 US11160248B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2019-09-19 | Disposable cat litter box |
US17/148,084 US11617344B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2021-01-13 | Disposable cat litter box |
US18/115,079 US11925170B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2023-02-28 | Disposable cat litter box |
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US201762549039P | 2017-08-23 | 2017-08-23 | |
US16/109,116 US10893655B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2018-08-22 | Disposable cat litter box |
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US16/576,654 Continuation US11160248B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2019-09-19 | Disposable cat litter box |
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US16/576,654 Continuation-In-Part US11160248B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2019-09-19 | Disposable cat litter box |
US17/148,084 Continuation-In-Part US11617344B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2021-01-13 | Disposable cat litter box |
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US20190059317A1 true US20190059317A1 (en) | 2019-02-28 |
US10893655B2 US10893655B2 (en) | 2021-01-19 |
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US16/109,116 Active 2039-04-12 US10893655B2 (en) | 2017-08-23 | 2018-08-22 | Disposable cat litter box |
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US11617344B2 (en) * | 2017-08-23 | 2023-04-04 | II Porter W. Kauffman | Disposable cat litter box |
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US20120234252A1 (en) * | 2011-03-16 | 2012-09-20 | Kitty Kan, LLC | Covered, enclosed, collapsible, shippable, disposable animal litter box |
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2018
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US5014649A (en) * | 1988-05-10 | 1991-05-14 | Monte Taft | Cat litter box with integral, collapsible enclosure |
US5078099A (en) * | 1989-09-29 | 1992-01-07 | Balson John E | Disposable litter box with collapsible corners to maintain the box in an open position |
US4976218A (en) * | 1989-12-26 | 1990-12-11 | Salvatore Cirami | Prepackaged, disposable, cat litter box |
US5035205A (en) * | 1990-02-23 | 1991-07-30 | Philip Schiller | Collapsible disposable cat litter box |
US4981104A (en) * | 1990-03-05 | 1991-01-01 | Goodwin Ida H | Disposable flea repellant kitty litter box |
US5203282A (en) * | 1991-11-18 | 1993-04-20 | Hasiuk Aaron S | Disposable litter container |
US5178100A (en) * | 1991-11-27 | 1993-01-12 | Roseita A. Braddock | Animal litter box |
US5727499A (en) * | 1993-09-22 | 1998-03-17 | Ranpak Corp. | Lightweight disposable kitty litter box |
US5730085A (en) * | 1993-09-22 | 1998-03-24 | Ranpak Corp. | Lightweight disposable kitty litter box |
US5465686A (en) * | 1994-09-14 | 1995-11-14 | Monetti; Steven A. | Collapsible house for pets |
US5572951A (en) * | 1995-02-28 | 1996-11-12 | Evans; Riley | Collapsible animal box |
US5845601A (en) * | 1996-02-26 | 1998-12-08 | Pathfinder Innovation, Inc. | Pet litter box |
US20110180008A1 (en) * | 2010-01-22 | 2011-07-28 | Gail Elizabeth Davis | Container and method for storing animal waste and controlling associated odor |
US20120234252A1 (en) * | 2011-03-16 | 2012-09-20 | Kitty Kan, LLC | Covered, enclosed, collapsible, shippable, disposable animal litter box |
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